Live Previews from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show

The Geneva Motor Show is the place where exotic and high-end offerings usually debut, and this year's 81st annual event is no exception, as evidenced by the 1115 hp Koenigsegg Agera R and the 208-mph Ferrari FF. But the 2011 show also takes on a decidedly green bent, with an unprecedented number of eco-friendly offerings ranging from Smart's Forspeed concept to Rolls-Royce's first-ever electric vehicle. Let's take a look at how the 2011 Geneva Motor Show is shaping up to be the poshest and greenest show to date.

Porsche Panamera S Hybrid

Porsche Panamera S Hybrid

It's far from the sleekest thing on the floor of the Geneva Motor Show, but Porsche's 111-year-old 'Semper Vivus'—the world's first fully functional hybrid car—is a vocal statement from the Stuttgart manufacturer that's known more for high performance than stellar fuel economy. The vintage iron heralds a new sedan that just happens to be the German automaker's most fuel efficient vehicle of all time: the 2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid. The new sedan claims 6.8 L/100 km (34.6 mpg) on the New European Driving Cycle when equipped with optional low-rolling resistance tires; that figure drops to 33.1 mpg with performance rubber. The parallel full hybrid system is the same setup found in the Cayenne S Hybrid SUV, with a supercharged 3.0 liter V6 delivering 333 hp, aided by a 47-hp electric motor that's capable of offering pure electric propulsion up to 50 mph. A nickel-metal hydride battery captures energy from regenerative braking, and an 8-speed Tiptronic transmission ensures the V6 won't have to work too hard when it's in operation. The hybrid Panamera should be able to hit 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, and achieve a top speed of 167 mph. Expect official EPA figures when the Panamera S Hybrid hits U.S. showrooms in late 2011, with a suggested retail price of roughly $95,000.

Mini Rocketman Concept

Mini Rocketman Concept

Modern day Mini concepts have grown and shrunk in seemingly endless reinterpretations of the half-decade-old design, and the Rocketman stays true—at least dimensionally—to mid-century Minis, with an overall length of 11 feet, 3 inches. That figure is only an inch or so longer than the 1959 original. Space efficiency is addressed with a split tailgate that incorporates a drawer and an integrated rear cargo carrier. Three-plus-one seating offers three seats in the cabin that can slide front to rear, and a rumble-seat style perch at the tail, which can be folded down for further stowage capacity. A wraparound greenhouse and Union Jack?full-surface glass roof make an airy space out of the diminutive cabin, and reinforcing the Rocketman's ambitious concept-y design is a carbon-fiber spaceframe that helps this Lilliputian runabout achieve 94 mpg imperial, or the equivalent of 78 mpg on the U.S. scale. The Rocketman's cost-no-object design and materials would certainly preclude it from seeing production, but we wouldn't be surprised if it spawned a more practical real-world spinoff at some point in the future.